Experts in Monterey discuss President Trump’s handling of Mueller probe

Monday night is the first of four events as part of the 2019 Panetta Institute for Public Policy Lecture Series. This year’s theme is “Checks and Balances, Will our Democracy Survive?”

The lectures are moderated by former U.S. Secretary of Defense, and White House Chief of Staff, Leon Panetta.

Monday’s lecture discusses the topic “The Mueller Investigation, the Law, and the Presidency,” and the speakers are all directly involved in investigation through their currently and past work.

Speaking to reporters, and later, the public, is James Clapper (former Director of National Intelligence), Mara Liasson (FOX News and NPR contributor), and Chuck Rosenberg (former FBI counsel to Robert Mueller, and Chief of Staff to James Comey).

This conversation comes as reports circulate that Mueller’s investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 U.S. election could be coming soon. Panetta and the three speakers discussed how the Trump administration has handled the investigation – an investigation that is also looking at how/if President Trump and his associates are involved.

Speaking with reporters, they did not speculate as to what the Mueller report will reveal, but Clapper addressed that Democrats should be prepared for an anti-climactic report, and that people will have to live with whatever the findings are – good or bad for President Trump and his administration.

“It is my hope from the get-go, whenever this started, that the Mueller investigation would clear the air because of the cloud that is over the country and this Presidency, and I’m not sure that it would do that,” Clapper said.

With the overall topic being about “checks and balances,” we asked Rosenberg if President Trump’s public criticism of Comey and Mueller is considered an “abuse of power.” He responded “it is unfortunate, because you would expect the chief executive of the United States would be more sensitive to the work of executive branch agencies.” Rosenberg did not call it an “abuse.”

Liasson was curious as to how this investigation will impact future administrations and subsequent investigations. “On the slippery slope at chipping away at people’s faith in democratic institutions , same thing with people’s ability to tell the different between a fact and a conspiracy theory, on all things, that is where I am the most worried and pessimistic.”

KION’s Aaron Groff will have more information on the 6pm and 11pm newscasts.